Learning with VARK

Learning with V A R

VISUAL MODE Prefers diagrams, flow charts, maps, graphs, graphic representations, highlighted text.

AURAL MODE Prefers learning through discussion, prefers to communicate by phone or emails and texting. Likes informal written communications.

READ/WRITE MODE Prefers written instructions, lists, manuals.communications.

K

KINESTHETIC MODE Prefers doing, likes videos, demonstrations, needs examples, real life situations and their experiences.

Understanding preferred learning strategies can be a powerful tool when it comes to training your team. That’s because Words by: Anne Lee when people receive information in their preferred learning mode, they’re more likely to understand and retain it and then use it appropriately.

Understanding your own learning preferences can make a big difference to how well you train your team members too.

Canterbury-based educational specialist Neil Fleming is recognised globally for his development of the VARK questionnaire and support tools used in education and business.

VARK stands for four learning preferences: • Visual • Aural • Read/write • Kinesthetic

“What people often don’t realise is that their learning preference will also be how they prefer to communicate when it comes to explaining something or teaching others.

“It’s inwards and outwards – how you prefer to learn and how you prefer to train or communicate with others,” he says.

So if you’ve been frustrated because people just don’t seem to be getting it when it comes to training or following instructions, it may be time to take a look at your own learning preferences and see how they marry up with your team.

“If you’re strongly aural you will prefer to talk it through when it comes to learning but you may also rely heavily on giving verbal instructions when it comes to teaching.”

If your team is low scoring when it comes to aural and lean more towards kinesthetic they’ll prefer to learn through real life demonstration and doing it themselves, so your messages are going to take a lot longer to get through.

Most people (55-65%) will have a combination of two or more learning preferences classifying them as multimodal and only about a third of the population will have a strong preference for just one way of learning.

Neil’s VARK questionnaire allows for more than one answer to each question.

It results in a score for each learning mode.

If one stands out it may indicate a strong single preference but, for those with a similar score for two, three or even four preferences, adding all the scores together to get a total will give more insight.

If the score is relatively low - between 14 and 26 – the person has a Type One

‘What people often don’t realise is that their learning preference will also be how they prefer to communicate when it comes to explaining something or teaching others.’

preference. They are likely to use a single mode for a specific situation but can switch that mode to suit the situation, specific task, project or person.

If they score 30 or more, they are classified as a Type Two multimodal learner and are likely to use each of the high scoring learning styles before they fully grasp a concept or solve the problem.

“An A, V, R multimodal Type Two will want to talk it through, see the diagram and read the instructions.”

But once they’ve understood it, they are likely to understand it more comprehensively than those with a single preference and retain it longer.

Only about 9% of the population is classified as Type One with about 28% classified as Type Two.

Because Type Two people have used two, three or four modes to understand something they often make good trainers as they can relate it back according to the trainee’s learning preference.

Neil says knowing someone has a strong

Canterbury-based educational specialist Neil Fleming: “What people often don’t realise is that their learning preference will also be how they prefer to communicate when it comes to explaining something or teaching others.”

preference for kinesthetic learning but has a low or even zero score for read/write doesn’t mean you can’t give them written instructions.

“It will just take them longer to take that information in if that’s all they are given.

“It’s better if you can show them but if written instructions are all there is then its better if they’re written in a way that creates a real-life scenario and gives them real life examples.”

People often confuse visual with watching a video but visual learners prefer graphs, charts and maps – things that aren’t real but symbolic and graphically represent something.

Covid-19 travel and gathering restrictions have created challenges but also presented opportunities for communication, learning and training.

Online technologies and communication tools have seen a surge in use.

Neil says care has to be taken with using online communication even if it does involve a video link.

If people just sit and watch others while they talk - even if they do get the chance to join in the conversation - it’s more like an aural-only experience.

Most online communication tools have facilities to share screens to show diagrams and charts which is helpful for visual learners and if videos of real-life scenarios are used too then kinesthetic learners can be engaged too.

“You might find in an online meeting, where a number of people with different learning preferences are included, that those with a strong single preference will get annoyed if they’ve understood clearly what’s being communicated but then have to sit through explanations catering for others’ preferences.”

Being aware of what preferences people have can make communication so much more efficient but it may mean repackaging a message or training in a few different ways to make sure the whole team is on board.

Neil says once the dynamics in the team are understood well it can become second nature to adjust your own strategies depending on who you’re dealing with.

The rewards in getting it right can be hugely satisfying and make for a much more effective, efficient, cohesive and successful workplace.

Neil’s VARK questionnaire is free for individuals to do online at www.vark-learn.com and is available for trainers for a small fee to cover copyright.

He also facilitates workshops to help people interpret the questionnaire results.